Unbearably Smug & Extremely Tired (also, Los Angeles)

RIGHT, hello!

I've slowly shaken myself out of my Autumnal and Winter malaise. The last few months have been spent relatively, shock horror, hamburger-free due to a 6-day a week work schedule (I deserve your pity).

The reason for this self-imposed hamburger censorship is that 1 week today (7 days) I'm off for a 12-day hamburger/taco/korean fried chicken/fried chicken & waffle adventure in Los Angeles, California, The United States of America. After the East coast witnessed my unbridled gluttony in 2010, it's high time the West coast was treated to some of my poor table manners and general patronising nature. It's going to be so great.

You'll find the list of the hamburger restaurants I intend to visit right below this sentence right here.

Cassell's
Pie N' Burger
Apple Pan
Irv's Burgers
In-N-Out (in all likelihood, more than once)
Bill's
Marty's (home to the Combo, essentially a hot dog on top of a cheeseburger)
Short Order
Umami Burger (Umamicatessen, specifically, for the fried-to-order doughnuts and "brainaise")
Hodad's (apologies for the gratuitous Guy Fieri)
Smashburger

So, get ready to be disappointed by a delightful bevy of new posts, hopefully (hopefully) a new website and, perhaps, even some events where I make some hamburgers all coming sometime this spring.

You can "critique" my list (if you're in to that sort of thing) in the comments below or please do feel free to send me the internet equivalent of a heavy-breathing phone call on my Twitter.

Can We Crowdsource a ThaT Burger in London?

I'm not entirely sure what the word "crowdsource" means, it seems like one of those words they would use in a Guardian live blog, see also - "blogosphere" (vomit) - that I'm not sure anyone really understands.

ThaT Burger was a very good restaurant that was open for a disappointingly short amount of time, this might be because it was conveniently located in Watford, i.e nowhere near anything good. It just happened to serve the kind of hamburger I'm quite a big fan of - 2oz patties of fresh Angus chuck cooked on a flat chrome griddle, toasted squishy white buns, lettuce, American cheese and pickles. It was really really great. See?

Unfortunately for all concerned, ThaT Burger's proximity (literally 10 metres) to a McDonald's and perhaps the people of Watford's unwillingness to experiment proved too much for the business and they shut in early February. On my final visit I was fed nearly everything on the menu (it was an uncomfortable drive back to south London) by ThaT Burger owner and all round good guy Justin Davies, who despite obvious disappointment seemed optimistic about the future.

6 months on from ThaT Burger's closure it doesn't seem any closer to re-opening so I'm starting some sort of half-hearted, pseudo campaign for ThaT Burger to move to London proper. Following some Twitter "buzz" (the most terrifying of all kinds of "buzz") about the opening of a London branch of rather westerly - California, to be exact - hamburger chain In'N'Out, something that I've often stated will never ever happen, I figured that the re-emergence of the really very excellent ThaT Burger would be the best thing for all concerned.

If only we could just talk Justin in to dropping that slightly annoying second capitalised T I'd be a very happy man. If you'd like to eat what I think will be the closest thing to an In'N'Out you should send Justin a Facebook communicae or preferably non-threatening e-mail telling him how much you'd like to see ThaT Burger open somewhere in the very centre of London or even just give him your money. Lovely stuff.

ThaT Burger on Facebook

* THE PHOTO IN THIS POST IS TAKEN FROM THE WILL EAT FOR MONEY BLOG AND ITS TYRANNICAL OVERLORD IBRAHIM SALHA.

ONE DAY SPECIAL!

Well, it'll certainly happen for one day. Special? Maybe not so much.

Anyways - at next Sunday's West Norwood Feast (that's the 4th September, date fans) and for one month only I'm doing away with the 2oz, onion laden, New Jersey-style slider. BUT WAIT! Things aren't as bad as they seem because for one day only, I'm going to be doing a smashed 4oz number.

So that's a plain and simple 4oz of East London Steak Company Shorthorn beef (a blend of chuck, short rib and brisket), smashed onto a burning hot griddle, on a toasted squishy white bun from Kindred bakery in Herne Hill topped with/without a slice of American cheese, home made dill pickles and diced white onion.

It might look something like this.

But then it might not. That photo of a single cheeseburger from nice looking fast food chain Steak n Shake, was taken (stolen) from the excellent A Hamburger Today website, thanks you lovely people - I hope you haven't been blown away (I don't know if you've heard, there was a hurricane).

So that's next Sunday, West Norwood - I'll have some hamburgers and you should come. YEAH?

YEAH!